Usman Khan

Officers are preparing an answer.

On the 29^th of November, we saw brave members of our emergency services and ordinary members of the public rush towards danger to protect the lives of others. I’d like to once again pay tribute to their heroism and the swift, professional response by the police. 

There are serious questions for the Government and others to answer about whether the attack could have been prevented. But let’s be clear, the ultimate responsibility for this vile act lies with the attacker. After a major incident like this, senior police leaders will often provide a statement to the public to inform people of the early facts, as they understand them at the time, and provide reassurance. In doing so, it’s important that they don’t rush to make judgements or fuel speculation in what can be extremely fast-paced investigations.   

As Assistant Commissioner, Neil Basu, said in his first statement, the police quickly responded as though it was terror-related due to the nature of the incident. Our counter terrorism police are amongst the best in the world because they are meticulous, persistent and with an unwavering dedication to uncovering the truth without fear or favour. It’s vital they keep an open mind during any investigation.  

It serves no purpose for the police to jump to conclusions as we know all too well the damage and division that can be caused by the spread of disinformation, especially when it can be amplified very quickly by social media.

But crucially, speculation which turns out to be untrue can have serious consequences for criminal justice. It can knock our confidence in the police, it can obscure crucial lines of investigation, and, ultimately, it can have an adverse effect on any future trial or inquest.

I think it’s rational, necessary and appropriate for the Assistant Commissioner to not guess at the motives or ideology of a terrorist in the immediate aftermath of an attack. As, to do so, could jeopardise efforts to obtain justice for those who lost their lives.